Ironing machine



y 1954 s. F. BICKELL ETAL 2,683,319

mourns MACHINE Filed April 28, 1952 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS 5. EB/EKELL h; E. JACKSON S. F. BICKELL ETAL July. 13, 1954 IRONING MACHINE6 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed April 28, 1952 y 3, 1954 s. BICKELL. ETAL2,683,319 IRONING MACHINE Fild April 28, 1952 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 July 13,1954 S. F. BICKELL ETAL IRONING MACHINE 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed April 28,1952 mum. ME w MM n Em% 5 S M 5 y 1954' s. F. BICKELL ETAL ,3 9

IRONING MACHINE Filed April 28, 1952 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 v I v i 66 I 1" 102 m A I m w 89 FIG. /2.

Patented July 13, 1954 IRUNING Stanley- EE Biokel-li lFramptm Gotterelljand Hal'fllfliiE i' Jack-son, Liverpol Ef1gIandimplication A'priY-ZS}1952j;Serial Nth-284,748.

Th'is'invention' relatesto. ironing. machinesintended mainlir' fordomestic use and particuiariiz to machinesofthe type having a rotatable;r011 supportea' at'orreen'd only. an'dia'heatedpressingf sho'e' whichcan" bemoved.into'andiout'bf engage mentwith theroll.

It is an" ob'iectofth'e presentinven'tioni toprovi'de. an ironing.machiiie having, an. improved" mechanism which is s'i'mpjln than knownmechani's'ms: and? which is easily controlled by an operatorl According,to the. present invention-.anmironingi machine comprisesa rotatableroll; a .shoecapa-b'le of movement into and? out of engagem'ent-with.the roll) driving. means, aedriveoutput'smemberoperatively"connectediwith; the driving means, asfirst'ciutch which transfersimotionfromstherdrive: output. memben to;roll: driving: means I only on rotation. ofsthedriveoutput member-inone-vdir'ec- 21 Glaiiusz- (Cl. 38-61)- Figure Tis. across sectionthrough one clutch assembiy'on an enlarged'scale',

Fii'zure. 8"i's an end view of the mechanism shown in Fig.

Figure 9Tis across. section on' the line C-Cof Fig. &but with themotorremoved,

i ure 10. shows part of the shoe operating. mechanism on anenlargediscal'e,

Figure 11 is-anenlarged View ofparti of'thecontrol arm,

Figure 12 shows thezpedalicontrolimechanism,. and

Figure 13 isv acircuit diagramsofrthe motor-control circuitl teferring;to Figure 1 of v the drawings. it will bea seentthat the ironing;machine itselfis of conventionai appearance-andhas a padded rotatabler011! supported atione end v onlyeona hollow goose neck or standard 2containin r011 drivingzgears.

tion, asecondclutchsvhidhrtransfers motionifrom' Aahea-tableshoer3awhichin Figure lis just-visible the -drii e. output membentoshoe.actuating means, only when the dr-iveeoutput memberiis rotatin -ins the.opposite. direction v andmcontrolameans open abie...'tochangeithe-direction ofrotation oft-the.

diiiveoutputimembers v I In. one embodiment of-thewinvention a mecharnism. is provided wherebythe. secondeclutchi-is; rendereds inoperativeafter the shoerhas engaged: the roller or has completedthedisengaginemovement therefrom.

According to aieatures of the. inventionsthedriving,.means.consistseflan electricrmotori andi the. direotioneofiitotation.ofithevdrive output meme her is changedby reversing the directioniofi-rota,tion of the electric. motcrw The motor maybeof the singlephase.capacitor st'arte type withithree star. connected windings J which. areenergized ac" cording, to the desiredfrotationsby: means, 012a, switchoperative'ly linked to th'elconti'ollmeans,

behindrthewroll I; isrmountedso that it can move intoiandoutsofsen'gagement w-ithithe' roll: I The goose necks 2 is: mounted oniabase 6- which infiFig.' uref l is shoWni supported: on a; cabinetstand:5:

z-i 'whi'ch enables: an operatorato sit iwhilst control ling the-machineby: means of a foot -peda.1-= indicated' generallymy the referencenumeraL 6;.

As canz beseenzinaFi'gure 2-1 the r011; consists. ofaho11ow*tube.-'!-coveredby="a:1ayer or padding 8':-

initurmccveredibm a:c1bth1s1eeve.-:9; The: roll. is

rotatab'lyisupported by discs 1 iii and: I 1| on a tube l2 which; issecured cantilever: fashion; in' they goose-meek Thezroll Iris:rotatedzby acdrivin'g rod 63 coupled to the tube l-"byfai further disc5" I4 2. 'Ih'e rod: I eipassesi thr'od'ghllthe. tube l2 as SHOWII BIIdis coupled toe-spindle" I 5 of a ge'ar: I 53 forming partofiafigear'train i6, :1; l8; l9 mounted ou -a bracket FZEi inside-the goose-neck2-1 The shoe-3'5 shown inmore detail in Figures-3 irofliilgmaichineaccording: to the invention. 40* arid-4; ismount'ed' midway of'its'en'dson a bracket willnow'be de'scribedi'n greater. detail By, way. of'example". with. reference to the accompanying drawings of which;

Figure .1 isa front:elevation'ofthe'ironingma chine'mounte'dfupon acabiuet'stand,

Figure 2.51s across.sectiorr th rougliihefrolltand itsmountin'g;

Figure 3 is a reareievationofthe'sfioesep'aratedffomth'e ironingmachine,1

2 I" and" has the usual concave metallic pressing surracezz'i Flexibleleads zsconrrecttheshoe" heating eiement'24 seen'in'cross'section inFig. 4;

vementttypewmounted within the structure ofthe Figure s v sectionwmtfiei shoe: The face'ofithecontrol memberi25 iscsuit+-- FigureS';

Figure fifis a" plan viewofpart-'o'fthemperatingf mechanism; j

Figure -6- is" a section on tI'ie 'IinesB Bof Figf 5 but'w-iththemotor'removed,

ab'I-y-"inScribedLWithE a: temperature scaleso that the: requiredtemperature: can be preset? ac curat'elyi The' di'iv i'ne'mechanismforb'othroll and-shoe =is mountedwithin the base' i -oi the machine'and isshown in plan view in Figure 5. An electric motor of the single phasecapacitor started type with three star connected windings is mountedwithin a casing 23 bolted to a housing 21 which contains a reductiongearing and clutches by means of which the drive from the electric motorcan be used to rotate the roll I or to operate the shoe 3.

A pinion 28 fixed on the shaft of the electric motor meshes with a gearwheel 29 whose axle carries a pinion 30 engaging a gear wheel 3| which,with a pinion 32, is mounted on a stub shaft carried by the casing 21. Amain gear 33 which meshes with the pinion 32 incorporates two rollerclutches and, dependent upon the direction of rotation of the gear 33,transmits rotation either to a gear wheel 34 engaging the gear wheel 13in the goose-neck 2 andthus to the roll i or to a cam which operates theshoe 3.

Each face of the main gear 33 is formed with a concentric recess inwhich the roller clutches referred to above are mounted. From Figure '7,which shows a cross section through the left hand clutch as seen inFigure 6,'it is clear that the clutch comprises a clutch centre 35,roller bearin s 35, 31, 33 and 39 and a bearing cage 40. The rollerbearings 3B, 31, 33 and 39 co-act with inclined surfaces 4!, 42, 43 and44 respectively formed on the periphery of the clutch centre 35. Leafsprings 45 and 43 are mounted in slots in the clutch centre 35. Eachclutch centre has a central tubular extension 4? (Figure 6) and in thecase of the right hand clutch as viewed in Figure 6 this extension4'l-has the pinion 34 mounted on it. The extension 47 of the left handclutch centre has a cam 48 secured to it. The cage 45 of the left handclutch has secured to it the flanged end of a sleeve-like member iswhich fits over the extension 47 and carries a latch plate 50.

The clutches are arranged so that the right hand clutch will transmitthe rotation of the main gear 33 to the pinion 34 only when the clutchis rotated clockwise by gear 33 (as viewed in the direction of arrow inFigure 6). The left hand clutch transmits the rotation of the main gear33 to the cam 48 only when rotated in an anti-clockwise direction andonly then if the cage 40 is free to rotate. The roller bearings 38, 39operate to transmit the anti-clockwise rotation of the main gear 33 tothe clutch centre 35 while the rollers 36 and 31 serve to prevent theclutch centre running ahead of the main gear 33 which would result in anabrupt disengagement of the shoe and the roll.

Rotation of the cage 40 is controlled by the latch plate 50 whichco-acts with the inturned end of a lever 52. These parts viewed in thedirection of the arrow 5i are shown on an enlarged scale in Figure andit will be seen that the latch plate 53 has a notch 53 and a projectingear 54. The lever 52 is firmly secured at one end to a spindle 55 whichpasses through the housing 27 and carries outside the housing a lever 56capable of turning the spindle. The lever 56 can also withdraw thespindle 55, through the medium of a pin 5! passing through the spindle,part way from the housing 2'! against the action of a spring 58 (Figures6 and 9).

The spring 58 normally holds the lever 56 against a plate 59 so that thelever abuts the inturned edget!) and a raised portion M of the plate 59as is shown in Figure 9. The plate 59 has a slot 62 (Figure 8) cut in itand an adjustment plate 63 which is pivoted to the plate 53 at 64 andcan be moved so as to mask the lower part of the slot 62 as viewed inFig. 8 and locked by a nut 98. A spring is mounted between the lever 56and. the bottom of the plate 59. A control bar 6'6 is supported adjacentone end on the slot 52 and adjacent the other end on the bracket 51 inthe base 4. The control bar 36 is capable of longitudinal movement, aswill be described later, against the action of a spring 68 which issecured between the control bar and the base 4. The spring 58 alsoexerts a vertical pull on the control bar 66. The end of the control bar68 adjacent the plate 59 is shown on an enlarged scale in Fig. 11. Thisend is slotted and has two operating faces 63 and Hi which in the normaloperating position of the bar are vertical and a face H which has thesame inclination with re spect to the horizontal as an inclined part 12on the lever 55. The slot in the control bar is also undercut as at 13and 14 to form two horizontal slots.

The control bar also has a small wedge shaped extension l5 (Figure 6).The wedge shaped extension 15 co-operates with a catch plate 16 mountedon a torsion bar T! which extends laterally from the housing 2! parallelwith the control bar. The torsion bar is journalled in the housing 21and extends within the latter. One end of an arm 18 is fixed to theinner end of the torsion bar l'l'inside the housing while the other endof the arm carries a roller 19 which is in contact with the surface ofthe cam 48 referred to above.

A sleeve 83 is fitted over the end of the torsion bar '57 remote fromthe housing 21 and is pinned to the bar at 8!. The sleeve passes througha O supporting bracket 82 and has a second bracket 83 clamped to it. Thebracket 83 extends through the base 4 of the machine and is secured tothe bracket 2| in the shoe 3.

One method of operating the control bar 66 is shown in Figure 12. Thebar 66 carries a small stud 84 which is retained in contact with one armof a bell crank lever 85 by the spring 38. The bell crank lever ispivoted at B3 in the base 4 and its other arm has an operating cable 87coupled to it. This cable 8! passes down inside the cabinet stand 5 andis attached to a foot pedal 88 which in Figure 12 is viewed in thedirection of the arrow 89. The foot pedal is pivoted at 90 and has anover-travel stop 9!.

Fig. 12 also shows how the end of the control bar 56 remote from thelever 56 can operate a switch 92 mounted beneath the base 4. This switchwhich is also shown diagrammatically in Figure 13 controls the powersupply of the electric motor.

Referring now to Figure 13 which is a circuit diagram of the motorcontrol, the motor windings WI, W 2 and W3 are shown connected to thepower supply terminal N, fixed contact 93 of the switch 92 and fixedcontact 34 respectively. moving contact 95 of the switch is joined tothe power supply terminal L. A capacitor Cl is connected across the endsof the windings W2 and W3. A switch operating plunger 95 transmits themotion of the control bar 33 to a flexible arm 31 carrying the contact95. Fig. 13 shows the position of the flexible arm 31 when the pedal 88is depressed by an operator.

Before describing the operation of the mechanism it will be assumed thatthe latter is in a position in which the shoe 3 is withdrawn from theroll I. It follows, as will be appreciated later, that the projectingear 54 of the latch plate 50 has engaged the inturned end of the lever52. Thus, the latch plate 50, sleeve 49 and cage 43 Theare-vpreventedsfmmnm rotation:ofrtheemaimgcar flitmtliemamruewhichcontrols? the rotationrori ithe torsion bar 1 1 In"- adzdition; themovementtofz theetorsiom bar nec-- esserwtmwithdrawthe: shoes-3 'has'-=caused1 the catch plate 16 to move intwthetli mot-travelerthe:.-wedgesshaqied:pmjeetionrfl5 on th'e controlbamffi'fi'ethusvpreventingrthez latter from further movement?tottheelettaasaviewedi imiigse 5; 6 and 1 123 theE-r'controlaban'wannbt,1 operate'r'the switch 92 to produce a reversal in the direction ofirotatiom ofi the: electricimotersand it .:followsthatsthesrollzils.cannchbeirotatedias long asthe 511G853rremainsrwithdrawm If: new? an"; 'o rera: hrs"wishe'sato iron; thefootpedals 88s isidepresseditullwandlretainedun -thatthus energising themotor to produce ani anticlockwise;dimctiontcfamtatiomofi the m'ainlgear 33;: Eacesliss of: thraslettaisthefemhofithc controlbardi'fi'scmnes intoi' contacttwzithitheslever fis caus ing;thezlattemtcrpivot.omthez pmjection Gil and so withdraw the spindle555ifiom1the: housing 2-? against the action of spztingafli vThis'swithdr'aws the inturned' endlofzthe:leyeriwzwhich' disengagesfnorm the e'an ifi'i.

Springsfiwcan :novwadtzonzthe: lever 56; so "that the latters-movescloclewiseaasiviewed in Fig. 8-

and out of engagementmithztherface:E91at 'the controhbarcslot;Springzflzismowfifireeitot return theelevert 56 t'rxthespositiomsh'owmin Fig: 9: and l the lever? 56? moves:- intoitlreihorizontal slot 13. Meanwhile;g.theradise gflgemerrtzofr*thei inturnedendrofffthezl'ever 52 i fIZOmLQthBZIGaHESQII8IS- allowed thescageslmtotrotate iwithzatliezmaiirsgear 33. As

the-.- main gea'nristrotatingiintan:azntieclockwise.

direction ltheicamiu isirotatediendzthus the.-:tor-' siom bars-! isrotated by; thtrrlever- 18a to I bring theishoez-3 into.engagementiwith: thearoll; l 7

After approximately 150 oifrotationitthehinturnedsen'dzofiz the: lever?52f; engagesnthe surface oi the latch. plate iwand:iurthenrotatiomcausesi the:lever:5':2v to: rotate :the :spindle: and rthusxth'e1 lever 56 im an: aHtiFGIOOkWiSE diIBCfiOHfiSO aliftinga the end of thecontrol bar 66. Further rotation bringsz'the notcli 53i-intcr-1inewith-the inturned end of the levenfit and-athe springifii causes thespindle 55 to rotate slightlyand the inturned end.

movesinto the notch 53. Thisstops. the rotation;

of the cagelil and'also movementof the shoe which has now engaged theroll I. Furthermore, the lever 56 has been returned to the position fromwhich it started.

During the movement of the shoe 3 into engagement with the roll I anyattempt to return the control bar 66 to the left is prevented by one orother of the following circumstances according to the precise instant inthe cycle at which the attempt is made:

1. The engagement of the inclined face H with the lever 56.

2. The engagement of the projection 15 on the control bar 66 with thecatch plate 16 on the torsion rod 11.

3. Engagement of the face 10 with the lever 56.

The foot pedal 88 can now be released, thus allowing the control bar 66to travel to the left under the action of spring 68. At the end of itstravel, the bar 66 operates the switch 92 and the ngeanu -Z'mus'ztherIeft hand clutch is pevented from transmittingethe flexiblecontact' -carrying: member W moves sor that tlieunovingcontactsii'iengaiges tlie fiiiedicon tact flit and the 'direetion of rotation'ofitlie elec==- tric motor-fis reversed sethat 'the main gear-35 can-nowrotate the gear 3 l' amd thuswlie roll ll- Depression of the fb'otpedhl'88 subsequently; first stops rotationof the roll by reversingttiredirectionof rotation -of' the eleoti'ie motor andi then by going throughthe sequenue of event's 3 just described causesthe -sheet to" move awayfrom the=rcll I It will be appreciat'ed, of 'coursey: that the cam 48 issh'ap'ed to pro'duee -bctlr the engagement with and the withdrawal 'fiomtlie pressed fully thusreversing the switch 9 1 andt the direction ofrotwtion of the*motor-'"wliichtbrings-theshoe mus engagement with theroll las dscribed-abovee The pedahilil is themre lease'd andi the springR starts to move=t-he con trol' bar BB bacK tb' the isa;-Gomplet'eunovement to the-left in the*direction' of arrow is'pre ventedas the inclinedface= '1 t onthe control bar 66 engages the-correspcndin'g'inclined por=- tion 12 of 'the lever'5li; Thus the-endof the control banfbllowsthe vertical -movement ofthen lever 56 and thecontrol b'ar cannot complete its leftwa-rd movement so as tocausepthrough a" reversal of 'the rotation oi -the ele'ct'ricmotor;rotation of the roll I.

the roll I without rotation-of 'tliedattert Although" in:- theembodiment described above afoot pedal contro'li has Ic'ieen'useditwillbe 'ap= preciated that other forms"- of controlmawbe adopted; forexample'athacontrol"bar mayfbe:

linked to a lever which is moved by the 'operatorsknee.

The motor reversa-l me'ans' may; an alt'er= native embodiment, DerepIace-d by areversiiigT gear interposed in the train ofreductiomgears"between the motor and thedrive output' member, in which *casethe-controlmeans-will actuate? the reversing gear" and the direction ofrotation of 1 roll, a shoe capable of movement into and out ofengagement with the roll, driving means, a drive output memberoperatively connected with the driving means, roll driving means, afirst clutch which transfers motion from the drive output member to saidroll driving means only on rotation of the drive output member in onedirection, shoe actuating means, a second clutch which transfers motionfrom the drive output member to said shoe actuating means only onrotation of the drive output member in the opposite direction andcontrol means operable to change the direction of rotation of the driveoutput member.

2. An ironing machine comprising a rotatable roll, a shoe capable ofmovement into and out of engagement with the roll, driving means, adrive output member coupled to the driving means, roll driving means, afirst clutch which transfers the rotation in one direction of the driveoutput member to said roll driving means, shoe Continued operation ofthe foot pedal in the manner just described causes the shoe- 3 t'oengage and 'witlidiaw' from" actuating means, a second clutch whichtransfers the rotation in the opposite direction of the drive outputmember to said shoe actuating means, a mechanism whereby the secondclutch is rendered inoperative after the shoe has engaged the roll orhas completed a disengaging movement therefrom and control meansoperable to change the direction of rotation of the drive output member.

3. An ironing machine according to claim 1 in which the driving means isan electric motor whose direction of rotation is controlled by thecontrol means.

4. An ironing machine according to claim 3 in which the control meansincludes a control bar which is movable to operate a switch controllingthe direction of rotation of the electric motor.

5. An ironing machine according to claim 4 in which the control meansprecludes more than one operation of the shoe actuating means followingeach operation of the control bar.

6 An ironing machine according to claim 5 in which the control bar has aslotted portion which cooperates with a first lever operativelyconnected with machanism by which the second clutch may be renderedinoperative after the shoe has engaged the roll or has completed adisengaging movement therefrom.

7. An ironing machine according to claim 6 in which the second clutchincludes a series of roller bearings which are mounted in a cagerotation of which is prevented by the mechanism when the second clutchis to be rendered inoperative.

8. An ironing machine according to claim '7 in which each clutch has aclutch centre having a central, tubular extension.

9. An ironing machine according to claim 8 in which the mechanismcomprises a cam having a projection and a notch both of which can engagea second lever operatively linked with the first lever.

10. An ironing machine according to claim 9 in which the cam is securedto a sleeve fitting over the tubular extension of the clutch centre ofthe second clutch.

11. An ironing machine according to claim 10 in which the sleeve is alsosecured to the cage in which the roller bearings of the second clutchare mounted.

12. An ironing machine according to claim 11 in which the tubularextension of the clutch centre of the second clutch carries a memberwhich engages a torsion bar operating lever and which is shaped so thatsuccessive rotations of the member produce opposite movements of theoperating lever. V

13. An ironing machine according to claim 12 in which the tubularextension of the first clutch centre carries a pinion by means of whichrotation of the drive output member is transmitted to the roll drivingmeans.

14. An ironing machine according to claim 13 in which means are providedto prevent operation of the control means to produce rotation of theroll whilst the shoe is out of engagement with the latter.

15. An ironing machine according to claim 14 in which the shoeactuating. means includes a catch plate which prevents operation ofthecontrol means to reverse the direction of rotation of the driveoutput memberwhilst the shoe is out of engagement with the roll.

16. An ironing machine according to claim 15 in which further means areprovided which op- 18. An ironing machine according to claim 17 in whicha further part of the slotted portion co-operates with the first leverto prevent movement of the control bar during another part of themovement of the shoe.

19. An ironing machine according to claim 18 in which the control rneansincludes a foot pedal.

20. An ironing machine according to claim 19 in which following one modeof operation of the control means, the shoe is applied to the roll andthe roll is held stationary, following another mode of operation of thecontrol means the shoe is applied to the roll and the roll is thencaused to rotate and following yet another mode of operation of thecontrol means the shoe is withdrawn from the roll.

21. An ironing machine according to claim 1 in which the drive outputmember is coupled to the driving means through a reversing gear which isoperated by the control means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number

